If you're accustomed to chain grocery stores' "international" sections, which take up only a few feet of shelf space, your mind will be blown. I saw rice and flours I'd never heard of, in quantities that belong in food storage. There were veggies called chikoo, karela, methi and chana. I don't know what they are, either, but if they're in Qaderi's dishes, I know they're good.

The Redwood Road location—and soon the State Street store, too—has a restaurant inside that serves chicken biryani, bhindi masala, aloo gobi, kababs and kormas, among many other dishes. All come with fresh naan, basmati rice and a drink.

The distance from Salt Lake City to Mumbai, India, is 7,618 miles. That's a long way to go, but the journey to State Street or Redwood Road isn't. And a trip to either location might awaken an adventurous spirit you didn't know you had.